Colts rally to beat Rangers

BARRIE - It was the same old formula the Colts have been using the last few weeks.
Win the firs game, drop the second one the road, then grab a victory on a Saturday night home game. This time, however, the first two were very close while the second was full of dramatics.
On Thursday Barrie hosted Oshawa in a game that would see the Colts pull off the 3-2 shootout win over the Generals.
Mathias Niederberger would stop 37 of 39 shots while Erik Bradford would get the only goal in the shootout.
The same result would come about on Friday in Sudbury but with Colts on the losing end.
Alex Fotinos would get the start and hold the team in the game quite well by making 33 of 35 saves.
But the shootout winner by Sudbury would beat Barrie 3-2 and send them on the long trip home for a Saturday tilt with the Kitchener Rangers.
Typical of a weekend game, the Barrie Molson Centre was packed to capacity.
The news that Mark Scheifele had recently been added to the Winnipeg Jets 23 man roster was the only talk of NHL hockey when the two teams hit the ice.
The first period saw Kitchener open the scoring at the halfway mark of the first period. The Colts would respond quickly when Anthony Camara let go of a bullet top corner over the Kitchener netminder’s glove hand.
The goal would be reviewed as the puck went right through the mesh but it would still stand.
Late in the period, the Rangers would regain the lead 2-1.
The second period saw the Rangers increase their lead midway through the period on a lucky bounce that found its way past goaltender Niederberger.
Undisciplined play lead to penalties that should have hurt the Colts had Niederberger not stood on his head and kept his team in the game.
Kitchener went 1-9 on the power play on this night because of the 58 saves Niederberger made on a 61 shot night.
The Rangers went into the final frame up 3-1 and determined not to play the Colts song and dance of winning their Saturday home game.
Cue the record for the BMC faithful.
Colts came out flying in the third period and rallied for five straight unanswered goals in less than six minutes.
Camara got it all started at 4:07 on the power play when he scored his second of the game.
Just three minutes later again on the power play, Camara made a between the legs pass to Mitchell Theoret who tied this game up at three.
Barrie would take their first lead of the game at 8:17 of the third period when Andreas Athanasiou scored his 21st goal of the season. Bradford and Steven Beyers were credited with the assists.
Not satisfied with a one goal lead and full of comeback energy, Tyson Fawcett put the puck backhand into the back of the net for his 20th of the season.
The goal announcement was nearly drowned out from the livened crowd as Dylan Corson would throw one more puck in the empty net to finalize the game at 6-3 and give the Colts a wild come from behind victory.
Camara was the game’s first star with his three-point night. He admits that the team came out flat, but is proud of the way they rallied for the home crowd.
“We really started off playing into their game,” said Camara. “But once we settled down we found it easier to slip back into our style and take the pressure off of Mathias.”
Zach Hall had three assists on the night to add to his now 53-point year. That tally is enough to make him the top points-getter on the team.
“We were just thankful that game was at home,” said Hall. “The crowd really stayed behind us the whole time and between them and Mathias, kept us in the game. Our fans are the best.”
The win was the Colts 30th (30-13-0-2) of the season as they remain in top spot amongst the Eastern Conference with 62 points.
Barrie’s next game is Wednesday when they head to Owen Sound to take on the Attack.